Award winning chef serving up fresh oysters in Aurora
Colorado is likely not the first place that comes to mind when you want to enjoy fresh seafood, but there's a spot in Aurora that's bound to change your mind.
In fact, the bar on the third floor of Stanley Marketplace is one of the best in the nation. Traveling Mercies is a 2025 James Beard Semi-finalist in the "Best Bar" category.
"We wanted to create a place that was inspired by places we like to travel," said Co-Owner and Chef Caroline Glover.
She and her husband are not newbies when it comes to creating fine dining experiences. After they opened Annette in the Stanley Marketplace she won a regional James Beard Award in 2022 for her work there.
A little over a year ago the marketplace had a four hundred square foot space available, and Caroline felt the pull to try something new.
"It just felt right to do something up here," said Glover. "We really loved tiny hole in the wall places that you can just pop in and kind of feel like you're transported somewhere else."
So, they opened Traveling Mercies, a cocktail and oyster bar where you can have a drink and eat fresh seafood. Glover said historically it isn't that unusual for a landlocked state like Colorado.
"Denver used to be the oyster spot. Because when the train would take oysters from the west coast all the way through the east coast, this used to be the hub where a lot of people got oysters because they were the freshest here," said Glover.
She said there were some lean times after opening.
"It was really hit or miss up here. Just because you're not on the first floor where people are looking automatically," said Glover.
All of that has changed. Traveling Mercies is a semi-finalist for a James Beard award in a national category.
"I was giddy. It was such a surprise," shared Glover.
She said business has picked up and, while she appreciates it, she said what she loves the most is the experience she gives her customers.
"I had somebody, actually last night, eating sardines and having a beer, and she said, 'I'm transported back 20 years when I was a college student and in Spain, drinking cheap beer and eating sardines,'" said Glover.
James Beard winners will be announced at a ceremony on Monday, June 16th in Chicago.
